From cleanings and diagnostics, night guards and sports guards, we offer a full range of prevantive dental services to keep your healthy, great-looking smile.
Seeing a dentist and dental hygienist regularly is one of the most important things you can do to keep your teeth, gums and bone healthy. Regular home care of brushing and flossing is essential to maintaining your teeth and gums, but there are many areas that may not get properly looked after on a regular basis. This is where our team comes in.
Seeing your dentist and hygienist on a regular basis allows us to examine your teeth and get on top of problems before they get out of hand. Your mouth is always changing, so what is in perfect health now may need some assistance in the future.
Your comfort is one of our highest priorities.
While we can’t promise pain-free treatments, we do take your comfort very seriously: our goal is for you to experience as little discomfort as possible. Our advanced equipment allows our skilled team members to provide gentle, effective dental care. We understand that some patients need extra time and care, so we explain what will happen and we don’t rush procedures.
If you’re getting a filling, root canal, implant, or any other surgical procedure, we provide plenty of local anaesthetic so that you won’t experience any pain during the procedure itself. Afterwards, our patients often require only over-the-counter medication like Advil or Tylenol for a couple of days, but we do also prescribe a short course of Tylenol-3s if required after more complex procedures.
Cleaning & Hygiene Services
Regular cleanings start with the hygienist examining your hard and soft tissues, assessing the health of your gums and supporting tissues. This can include palpating your tissues as well as measuring your gums. To clean your teeth, we use several techniques, including hand and ultrasonic scaling, to remove plaque and calculus (tartar), and polishing to remove stains. Our hygienists can provide you with instructions and alternatives for your home care routine. Depending on your needs, we may finish with fluoride treatment to help prevent decay.
Every patient is different, so your hygienist will recommend individualized hygiene intervals and techniques that reflect your specific situation.
If cleanings have been uncomfortable for you in the past, our staff are able to provide local or anaesthesia (freezing) to keep you comfortable while ensuring you get the best clean possible for your health.
Diagnostic Services
Once your teeth have been cleaned, the dentist may check your mouth and may palpate your jaw and neck, as we are always on the lookout for any unusual tissue (lumps, bumps and ulcers) in your mouth as a safeguard against oral cancer. If we see something suspicious, we can help get a definitive diagnosis with biopsies and screening via the BC Oral Biopsy Service and/or refer you to a specialist as needed.
Depending on your needs, we may take some check up or panoramic x-rays to check your teeth and bone.
Night Guards and Sports Guards
Night guards and sports guards help protect your teeth while you sleep or participate in high-impact sports. Come in to Chatterton Way Dental and we will make a mold of your mouth and send it to a local dental manufacturing lab. About a week later, at a short follow-up appointment, we will fit you with your custom night or sports guard and show you how to wear it.
Night Guards
Many people clench or grind their teeth at night, which can result in wear on the teeth, damage to the gums, and even tooth fractures. The most common symptom is jaw pain and/or a headache—as well as visible damage to the teeth (which you may not see, but your dental hygienist and dentist will).
A night guard will help alleviate this condition. A night guard is not painful to wear, but does take a bit of getting used to, since at first it will feel a bit bulky in your mouth. But when the pain in your teeth subsides after a week or so, you’ll be thankful! You may not need to wear one for the rest of your life.
Sports Guards
Contact sports can be rough on your teeth. We highly recommend wearing one for hockey, football and any other sport where you might get frequently in contact with other players.
A sports guard is a protective acrylic appliance that goes on the upper teeth, but it’s important to know that not all are created equally. A properly fitted sport guard helps to prevent tooth and jaw fractures by splinting your teeth and bone together to act as a solid unit.
